the earth and provided a chaise longue for six of us during an
afternoon���s snooze. Acres of ferns were nature���s delicate contrast to the rugged mountain walls reminiscent of the Rockies
and the Alps.
Although Fengari is often overcast and the morning of our
ascent was grey, later the sky cleared and the rest of our adventure was blessed with near-ideal conditions. At strategic intervals our guides placed themselves firmly downhill to prevent
us slipping hundreds of feet below.
The peak view included Mount Athos to the west, the entire
coast of northeastern Thracian Greece, northwestern Turkey
in Asia Minor and a large swathe of the Aegean to the south.
One could see why Zeus chose to perch here, one of the most
phenomenal views in Europe. As you looked from the top
down to the coastline, the perspective was topsy-turvy, the
mountain appearing monumentally out of scale with the surrounding island.
We were completely alone. The bottle of Kluge Estates champagne which regrettably had been confiscated by security at
the airport was replaced by a pleasant stand-in. As we toasted
our ascent and our company, I imagined that wonderful bubbly from Virginia in Zeus��� hands.
Many stories about Mount Athos center around miraculous
appearances of icons. Earlier, the Abbot of Great Lavra had
given us each an icon depicting the founder of Great Lavra,
Saint Athanasios. We placed one of them in a small grotto at
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